Campaign targets MPs over gay marriage failure

The fallout from Tasmania's failed gay marriage legislation has turned nasty, with claims of deaths threats against a gay activist and a cyber campaign against some MP's

Last month's parliamentary debate on the marriage equality bill was charged with emotion and ended with Tasmanian upper house MPs voting it down, eight to six.

Social media pages have been set up to criticise legislative councillors, including Launceston's Rosemary Armitage and Glenorchy's Adriana Taylor for voting against the bill.

Windemere MLC Ivan Dean has also been sent emails attacking him.

"There are also some personal emails coming through and personal contact, it's a sort of a hate campaign," he said.

The offensive comments posted on social media pages, include labelling the MPs bigots.

Ms Armitage says the content is upsetting.

"I try not to look at it, I've been told you really shouldn't look at the ones that are less than pleasant," she said.

Gay rights activist Rodney Croome says he supports the pages but has condemned the comments.

"I've received several pieces of hate mail in the context of this debate and two death threats and so I'm very aware of the importance of conducting this debate in a respectful and mature way," he said.

"I condemn unreservedly any bullying, any standover tactics and any threats made in the context of the marriage equality debate.

"There's nothing hateful about the pages that have been set up they simply highlight that some upper house members have voted against marriage equality, against the wishes of their local constituents.

"[But] derogatory name calling and bullying has no place in any public debate," he said.

"The accusations against the legislative councillors are simply over the top, derogatory and in some cases defamatory."

Greens leader Nick McKim co-sponored the bill and says while he does not condone the comments, those MLCs are feeling the wrath of voters.

"People need to be held accountable for their votes and what they say and I have no doubt that those eight members of the legislative council will be held accountable for their vote to entrench discrimination when they come up for re-election," he said.

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